Snacks & Nibbles
Crispy Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Coated in Five-Spice Powder
Prep
75 min
Cook
15 min
Servings
4
Level
Medium
This legendary snack from Taiwanese night markets is famous for its super crispy skin while the chicken inside stays juicy. Sprinkled with the signature five-spice powder and fresh cilantro leaves, its savory-spicy kick makes it impossible to stop snacking. Perfect as a movie-night companion or a tempting afternoon treat.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 4
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 500 grams Boneless chicken breast fillet, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tsp Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp Five-spice powder (ngo hiong)
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
- 150 grams Sweet potato/tapioca starch
- 50 grams Cornstarch
- 500 ml Cooking oil for deep frying
- 3 sprigs Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
- 1 tsp Taiwanese chili powder or sweet chili powder (optional, for garnish)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Combine the chicken pieces with the minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, five-spice powder, and salt. Mix well until the chicken is fully coated with the seasoning.
- 2 Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour—the longer it sits, the more flavorful it becomes (overnight works great too).
- 3 Take the chicken out of the fridge, add the beaten egg to the marinade, and mix well again.
- 4 In a separate bowl, combine the sweet potato starch and cornstarch. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, pressing gently so the coating sticks well and forms a rough, craggy texture.
- 5 Let the coated chicken rest for 5-10 minutes so the flour coating sets nicely before frying.
- 6 Heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat to about 340-355°F (170-180°C). Fry the chicken in small batches so the pieces don't stick together, for 4-5 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
- 7 Remove the chicken and let it drain briefly on a wire rack, then fry it a second time for 1-2 minutes to make the skin even crispier and perfectly crunchy.
- 8 Remove from the oil, drain off excess oil, and immediately sprinkle with Taiwanese chili powder and chopped cilantro while still hot so the seasoning sticks.
- 9 Serve right away while warm and crispy—it can be enjoyed as is without any dipping sauce, since it's already deliciously savory and spicy from the marinade and garnish.
💡 Tips
• Use real sweet potato/tapioca starch for that signature craggy, crispy Taiwanese texture—don't substitute regular all-purpose flour.
• Double frying is the key to keeping the skin crispy longer and preventing it from turning soggy too quickly.
• Make sure the oil is really hot before adding the chicken so the coating doesn't soak up too much oil and turn out greasy.
• Sprinkle the chili powder and cilantro on immediately after frying while the chicken is still hot, so the seasoning sticks best.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
320 kkal
Calories (kcal)
24 gramg
Protein
18 gramg
Fat
20 gramg
Carbs
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